A New Zealand man who had been missing with his three children for nearly four years was shot dead by police early Monday after he shot a constable during a confrontation following an armed robbery in the central North Island.
Tom Phillips, who vanished from Marokopa with his children Ember, nine, Maverick, ten, and Jayda, 12, in December 2021, was confronted by officers on Te Anga Road near Piopio in the Waikato region after a witness reported a theft from a farm supply shop, police said. A lone officer was struck by gunfire and later airlifted to hospital in critical condition; a second officer returned fire and fatally wounded Phillips.
Police said a member of the public called about 2:30 a.m. after seeing Phillips and his daughter Jayda, wearing headlamps and farm clothing, taking items from a PGG Wrightson store in the rural town of Piopio. The pair left the scene on a quad bike and were stopped about an hour later, roughly 33 kilometres away, when police had laid road spikes on Te Anga Road.
Acting Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers said the spikes had been placed after what she described as "officer intuition". When a single officer approached Phillips, he fired a high-powered rifle striking the officer in the head, Rogers said. A second police vehicle arrived and shots were exchanged; Phillips was killed at the scene and Jayda was taken into custody.
The injured constable was airlifted to hospital and has undergone surgery. Police Commissioner Richard Chambers told media the officer "is conscious and talking to his fellow officers." Rogers described the incident as "deeply traumatic" and said Phillips's body remained at the scene for some time.
Police located a quantity of stolen goods on the quad bike, including clothing and footwear, and said multiple firearms were recovered. Jayda and her two siblings are now in police custody; authorities said the children were found alone, uninjured and cooperative. They will receive medical examinations and police will work with Oranga Tamariki (the ministry for children) to provide support, Rogers said. It was not immediately clear whether the children have been informed of their father's death or who will have day-to-day care.
The children's mother, Cat, issued a statement saying she was "deeply relieved" that the children's ordeal had ended while expressing sorrow at how events unfolded. She extended "aroha" for the injured officer and asked for privacy as the family worked with government agencies to help the children reintegrate.
Phillips's disappearance in December 2021 followed a custody dispute, and the case drew nationwide attention as police mounted repeated searches and offered an NZ$80,000 reward for information. Authorities and family members reported several possible sightings over the following years. The family's extended relatives had appealed publicly for their return, and Phillips's mother and sister had made emotional public pleas in recent months.
Police said rumours that a baby had also been missing with the group were unfounded. Phillips's father and brother, when approached by a local news outlet, expressed anger about past police actions, telling reporters police had "shafted" the family, though police did not expand on that claim.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he had been briefed by police but declined further comment. A roadblock remained in place on a section of Te Anga Road near the Waitomo Caves, and several nearby roads were closed as officers continued with the investigation.
Deputy Commissioner Rogers said police had notified Phillips's parents that the grandchildren were safe. She described the outcome as "devastating news for Tom Phillips's family" and "the outcome that nobody wanted." Police said they would continue to provide support to the children and to the injured officer as inquiries into the incident proceed.